Flush joint (or “near flush joint”) pipe used for riser pipe in offshore drilling and/or used for conductor pipe for deep well drilling is often too large in diameter to be handled by conventional die-grip casing handling tools. The most commonly available die-grip tools for handling large pipe have a maximum diameter capacity of approximately 24 in. Riser pipe and conductor pipe can have a substantially larger diameter, frequently in excess of 36 in.
The present invention relates to special equipment and procedures for handling and running large diameter flush-joint pipe in offshore wells and/or other drilling sites requiring pipe having diameters exceeding the capacity of conventional running tools.